Bass Gear Magazine Saber Bass Review

By Vic Serbe
The Company Line
It all started back in the early ‘70s, when Christopher Willcox (yes, two l’s) worked for a luthier’s shop in New Jersey.
He started off as an apprentice and moved up to full-time
custom builder. In 1976, he moved to Santa Barbara, California and then opened his first guitar shop in 1980. Like so
many luthiers, he was always looking for a way to offset or
eliminate characteristics that would impact tone negatively,
such as dead spots, harmonic impurity, etc. He spent years
focusing on the usual things, like wood combinations,
bass
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construction methods, etc., and ended up focusing on a better
way to translate string motion into sound. He felt the traditional magnetic pickup system, while tried-and-true, carries
enough baggage that an alternative could help him achieve
all his goals. The very thing that makes the magnetic pickup
system work also results in affecting the sound it’s used to
translate. Magnetic pull can affect tone, sustain, intonation,
harmonic purity, etc … all the things he was trying to
improve on. Piezoelectric was available, translating pressure
into sound, but he never really liked the sound of them
(though ironically, he incorporates a custom piezoelectric
element on these basses; more on that, later).
What about optical?
Growth in military and
aerospace applications
with infrared technology
in the 1980’s drove prices
down to the viable level
for consumer products,
and by 1988, Chris had
his first prototype of the
optical pickup system. It
was originally done on a
bass, although today, the
Willcox LightWave line
includes guitar models.
He describes the system
as totally transparent and
non-intrusive – a blank
canvas for unlimited tonal
variations, having broader bandwidth and wider dynamic
range, noise free, and can read any string material (just as a
piezoelectric system could, for example, since it also doesn’t
rely on the string passing through a magnetic field to function). Everything else about his instruments is typical
traditional design. It’s his pickup system that makes his
instruments unique. In 1998, he reincorporated under the
LightWave Systems brand, but today, the company is once
again known as Willcox Guitars.
Details
Since we’re on the topic, let’s talk pickup system. As I said
before, it’s an infrared solution where an emitter shines light
on one side of the string, and a collector captures the “shadow” on the other side. This shadow is then processed through
his proprietary system and converted into an amplifiable
signal. The system also has a limited range of visibility, so if
you change the setup of the bass, the optical system may
need to be adjusted up or down for optimal operation. This is
done through a series of steps involving pulling the rather
large cover off the back of the bass, selecting the string to be
adjusted on a rotary wheel, and then adjusting the element on
the bridge while watching an LED inside the cavity. Red is
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19bass
one boundary, and green is the other, in the middle (where
you want to be), it’s out. Just as if you change the setup on a
traditional bass, you have to adjust the pickups, the same is
true here, it’s just a little more involved (but not bad; you get
pretty good at it quickly). The manual is really well-written
on this, and makes it easy to understand. There are also dip
switches for the iceTone™ gain and range, as well as trim
pots for the output levels of each string.
While we’re talking iceTone, remember we said Chris didn’t
like piezoelectric systems? Well, that’s not completely true.
Turns out the iceTone circuit is a custom piezoelectric
system, but it’s only used to supply the high-end frequencies.
He chose this over using a more traditional treble control in
the preamp. As such, it’s an integral component to the overall
sound reproduction system, not an independently implemented system you can “solo,” as typically done on other instruments using that technology. Then there’s the “warm/cool”
switch (not on the HexFx models). This is also kind of a
“high-end” control, because what it does is reduce bass and
increase upper-mids. However, in the manual, he mentions
thinking of its effect as a way of emulating switching between the neck and bridge pickups on a dual-pickup instrument (with “warm” being the neck pickup). While I found
that control very musically useful, I’m not sure I would view
it that way. It does what it says it does, but it still sounds very
different to me than switching on a dual-pickup system.
There’s a master volume, a bass control providing +/- 12dB
(with the knee at 300Hz), and a rather interesting mid
control. It’s a sweepable midrange control (with +/- 12dB
from 200Hz to 1kHz), but with a twist. The “Q” (essentially
the range of frequencies affected above and below the center
frequency selected) varies with the frequency sweep. The Q
is narrower down low, but wider as you go up in frequencies.
Think of it as being a more focused control down low and a
more broadly applicable control up high. This makes a lot of
sense to me, and in fact, works well.
The optional HexFx system employs a 13-pin DIN connector
and is compatible with all of the devices which follow the
Roland GK protocol, including the Roland VB-88, VB-99,
GR-33, GR-55, AXON, McMillen StringPort, etc. I can also
be used in conjunction with a USB or MIDI interface to play
hardware synths, software synths, or mate with virtually any
compatible software. This is a unique tool for bassists who
perhaps feel marginalized by the trend
towards tablets and other less expressive
controllers in composing. You can even
use just a fan-out box, and route each
string to a destination and/or process, or
assign each string differently, for some
REALLY wild expression!
back to center. This performs the “up/down” function on the
GR. Most typically, it would be to change patches. The GR
system can supply power to other hex pickups, but the Saber
is not parasitic in this way. Its internal battery runs the show.
I did not have the opportunity to test this feature, as I was
unable to obtain a GR system to play with, but I can at least
say I’ve seen demos and this feature appears to work as
advertised.
With the HexFx system, you get two new
switches (remember, the warm/cool switch
is not available on these). The first switch
is a 3-position “blend” switch, which tells
the GR system to use only its sounds, only
the bass’s sounds, or both (you don’t use
the ¼” jack when using a GR system; there’s no need). The
other (“S1/S2”) switch is also 3-position, but always bounces
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As you can imagine, all this technology requires a pretty
sophisticated system. That’s reflected both in the size of the
cover on the back, as well as the fact it needs a pretty beefy
battery to keep it fed. Willcox solves this by putting a large,
rechargeable NiMH battery in the bass. It charges completely
in about an hour with the supplied charger (small enough to
easily fit in any gig bag/case), and goes about 15 hrs. on a
charge. Even if it dies at a gig, you can play the bass
plugged-in, with no sonic penalty (even if you play while
charging, it still charges fully in about an hour). The small
charging wire is extra-long on the charger to support this
very scenario. There’s a status LED which glows red when
you plug the bass in (instrument cable). It dims as the battery
discharges, and when totally out, you still have about 1-2
hours left, which can be thought of as a fuel tank’s “reserve.”
The bodies and necks for these basses are built in Korea,
which for years now has been a source of truly well-made
products in many markets. Assembly, fretwork, fit and finish
and final setup are performed in Carpinteria, CA. All of the
electronics are manufactured in California, as well. The body
is ash with an AAA flamed maple top on the VL, and alder
bass
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on the SL. The fretless fingerboard is a composite material
made from basswood fibers and a carbon-graphite resin. This
results in a very stable and hard material, perfect for fretless
instruments, plus the basswood fibers give it a great texture
and look. The fingerboard is rosewood on the fretted SL. The
nut and custom monolithic bridge system are made by
GraphTech, in BC, Canada. The strap buttons are traditional,
and the output jack on the side of the bass is not recessed (a
good thing, in my opinion). The HexFx output (if present)
will be right by the output jack, and the charging jack is also
there. The necks are maple, with a rather slender profile,
which is very easy on the hands. The headstocks are kicked
back, but there is no volute, so it feels very smooth in the
first position. The 5-bolt neck heel joint is also nicely
rounded and shaped to be comfortable up high. The machines are smooth and reliable, and the bridge adjusts easily
Fit and Finish
I looked over these basses with a fairly scrutinizing eye, and
despite their economical price, their construction, fit, and
finish are on par with instruments costing much more. The
fretless fingerboard true, and the fretwork on the fretted,
were all top notch. I couldn’t find any high or low spots; no
ganking-out or fretless squelching. The edges of the fingerboard were smooth and comfortable. The neck joint
was spot on, the controls all felt solid and worked
smoothly. The strap locks are non-locking, but
shaped such that they would hold a strap very
securely. The finish was smooth and free of irregularities, runs, or inconsistency of shading. Adjusting
anything/everything worked as advertised (intonation,
action, LightWave, etc).
On the Gig
The VL fretless weighs in at a svelte 6.8lbs, so it feels like
it’s filled with helium. Even the solid-body SL is only 7.9lbs,
and a darned easy carry all night. The ergonomics are great,
as the bass hangs just where you want it, and the neck profile
is super comfortable. The tone on these basses is unique.
Even if you have the warm/cool switch, it’s still more or less
sounds like (for lack of a better way to quantify in writing) a
modern P-bass. All the modern tone controls give you a
broad range of adjustment, but that’s where I feel its tonal
base lies. The EQ is very musical and completely usable.
While I never really needed to use a ton of EQ, you could
dime the controls and still have a very nice, usable sound.
The iceTone control is interesting, as it’s the only “treble”
control I’ve ever used where I actually found boosting
useful. In particular, bumping the iceTone provided for a
really cool slap tone – nice and sizzly, but not overly brittle
or noisy/clacky, at all. On the benefits of the pickup system,
it seemed to perform as advertised. The harmonic content
seemed to have more fundamental to it, which really came
out when popping harmonics. They’re very alive on these
basses. Also, sustain was great, which was
especially nice for the fretless. It complimented the “mwah” we all love so much in a great
fretless. Further, you could get some really
interesting sounds with combinations of the
warm/cool switch and the iceTone control. It is
still a fairly modern sound, but with some
really sweet, warm tones – which is what I crave on a
fretless. I’m not much into crispy bright fretless sounds. The
bass is also very controlled, which works great for both the
fretless sound, as well as keeping the B string balanced with
the other strings on the SL. Probably the coolest thing,
however, is being asked, “Where the hell is the pickup on
that damn bass?” on the job.
The Bottom Line
These basses have a lot in common, which validates Chris’
claims that the pickups are central to tone, even with varying
construction options (woods, chambering, etc). Even without
the HexFx option, there’s a dizzying spectrum of available
sounds you can dial in with these instruments, and they play
perfectly. If you’re looking for a traditional J or P-bass
sound, these will probably not meet your needs. But if you’re
looking for something new and different, which breaks
tradition in some really musical ways, these could be your
new bass.
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23bass
Saber VL 4 Fretless
CONFIGURATION
Strings: 4
Style:Double cutaway
Overall length: 44 1/4”
Body Dimensions: 20 ¼” long x 12 ½” wide at lower bout
Body Contouring: Moderate
Weight: 6.95 lbs
NECK
Scale length:34”
Neck width at nut:
1.595”
Neck width at 12th fret:
2.067”
Neck width at joint:
2.358”
Neck thickness at nut:
.825”
Neck thickness at 1st fret:
.819”
Neck thickness at 12th fret:.885”
Neck thickness at joint:
1.2”
String spacing at nut:
.389” to .432”
String spacing at saddle:
.758”
Fingerboard Radius/Neckshape: 14 deg/ Narrow C
Peghead break angle:
7 deg
Bridge break angle:
9 deg
Afterlength at nut:
2 3/8” to 4 5/8”
Afterlength at saddle:
1.5”
Attachment:Bolt-on
Pocket gap:.004”
Truss rod type/access:
Compression rod / peghead
Fret count:NA
Fretwire:NA
ELECTRONICS
Pickups:LightWave System2
Pickup location(s):
At bridge (LightWave and piezo)
Electronics:LightWave
Controls:
Volume, Bass boost/cut, Mids boost/cut, Mid Sweep, iceTone Blend, Warm/Cool switch
Shielding:None
Preamp Circuit Voltage:
Rechargeable power cell
CONSTRUCTION
Body woods:
Ash, AAA flamed maple top
Neck woods:
Maple, AAA flamed maple face to match top.
Fretboard:Custom composite
Body finish:
Transparent red gloss
Neck finish:Clear Satin
HARDWARE
D’Addario Chromes (flat wound)
Strings:
Gauge:
.045, .065, .080, .100
Attachment:At bridge
Bridge/color:
GraphTech monolithic / Black
Nut (guide):GraphTech
Tuners/color: Black
Knobs/color:
Metal knurled dome/Black
Pickguard:NA
Control cavity cover:
Transparent black plastic
GENERAL
Company:
Willcox Guitars
6387-A Rose Lane
Carpinteria, CA, 93013 USA
Tel: 805.684.3216
Fax: 805.684.6696
http://www.willcoxguitars.com/
Country of origin:
Korea (neck and body), USA (electronics), Canada (bridge/nut)
Warranty:
3-year limited transferrable
Price:
$1,898 (MSRP)
Options:
4 or 5 string, fretted or fretless
Test Bass Options:Fretless
Accessories:
Gig bag, charger, tools, manual
Available colors:
Natural, transparent red, transparent black, transparent amber
Acquired from:
Dates:
Locales:
Test gear:
Willcox Guitars USA
Spring 2016
Illinois, Ohio
Gallien-Krueger MB800, Aviom, TecAmp SuperCab,
GK MB-112 Neo.
TEST RESULTS
1-5 (unacceptable to impeccable)
In-hand
Features: Tonal Flexibility: Ease of Use: Aesthetics: Ergonomics: Tone:
Value: 4
4
4
4
5
4
5
In-Hand Score
4.29average
On-bench
3.50average
SONIC PROFILE:
Lows: Controlled, full, and rich
Mids: Versatile and smooth
Highs: Clear and crystalline, but not brittle
On-bench
Overall Construction 3
Wood Choice 4
Materials Choice 4
Joinery 4
Fretwork 4
Fit and Finish of Adornments 4
Quality of Finish Work 4
Ease of Repair
3
Potential Range of Setup 2
Balance on Knee 3
Balance on Strap 3
Overall Electronic Quality 4
Solder Joints, Wire Runs 3
Clarity 4
Noise 4
Shielding NA
Quality for Price Range 3
Modern tone, a breakaway from tradition, but with
a broad range of available sounds from their base
tones, which are full and sweet.
Saber VL 4 Fretless
Breaking new technologies into the guitar industry is a huge
challenge. While bass players have been more open to new
electronics than guitarists, if you try to move away from traditional
Fender-style instruments, you encounter enormous resistance from
certain segments of the marketplace. The LightWave transducer
system in the Willcox bass is pushing right up against that wall.
Who knows if they can break through?
neither magnetic or piezo, like the usual bass pickup choices. The
string rotation is detected by light and transduced without potential
interruption in string movement due to magnetics. In this particular
adaptation, piezos are added as a compliment to the LightWave
system. This adds a more familiar punch to the instrument and
could be blended with a fairly subtle effect. There is an EQ switch
that also changes the character subtly.
Setting aside electronics for a moment, we have a bass here that
is pretty cool-looking. It’s super light and has a great-looking
finish. However, the truss rod on this particular instrument is super
tight under string tension and can’t adjust the neck completely
flat. When you try to adjust it, the rotation cracks and jerks. It
does have great-looking wood. The core is a chambered ash
body topped with flame maple cap. There is a traditional 3-piece
laminated maple neck. The fingerboard appears to be some kind
of composite. It plays great and has a great fretless fingerboard
groom. It’s exceptionally light, but I find that sometimes very
lightweight basses exhibit a bit of neck dive. The build is good and
the finish well-done, but outside the electronics, the instrument is
fairly average.
I’m not an expert with regard to the LightWave technology, so I
can’t comment on its implementation in this particular bass. I will
say there is zero shielding in the cavity. There is no noise that I
can tell on my bench, so maybe it doesn’t need it. This bass does
not employ the typical 9v battery approach, but instead, opts for a
proprietary rechargeable battery pack. If you lose charge on a gig,
it can be operated while plugged into the charger. Speaking of the
charger, I would be tempted to purchase a spare, and leave it in the
case. The housing around the bridge where the light system lives is
rather large and definitely stands out on an otherwise great-looking
design.
The electronics are the star of the show, here. This is the
proprietary LightWave system. The concept has been trying
to gain traction for over decade. It’s a solid technology, and as
implementation becomes more commonplace, I wouldn’t be
surprised to see it thrive. At its core is an optical technology that is
It’s a struggle to bring new tech to the bass guitar. In this case,
they’ve chosen to bring it to relatively affordable, production
instrument. One could try to acquaint people with this technology
in the over $3,000 range, where risk taking is a little more
commonplace, but the market share is significantly smaller. If it
doesn’t work here, that’s where I’d go next.
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25 bass
Saber SL 5 HexFx
CONFIGURATION
Strings: 5
Style:Double cutaway
Overall length: 45”
Body Dimensions: 20 ¼” long x 12 ¼” wide at lower bout
Body Contouring: Moderate
Weight: 8.2 lbs
NECK
Scale length:34”
Neck width at nut:
1.776”
Neck width at 12th fret:
2.539”
Neck width at joint:
2.923”
Neck thickness at nut:
.866”
Neck thickness at 1st fret:
.835”
Neck thickness at 12th fret:.963”
Neck thickness at joint:
1.128”
String spacing at nut:
.343”
String spacing at saddle:
.754”
Fingerboard Radius/Neckshape: 12 deg/ flat D shape
Peghead break angle:
10 deg
Bridge break angle:
15 deg
Afterlength at nut:
2 ¼” to 5 3/8”
Afterlength at saddle:
1 3/8”
Attachment:Bolt-on
Pocket gap:.008”
Truss rod type/access:
Single-action / peghead
Fret count:24
Fretwire:110x52
ELECTRONICS
Pickups:
LightWave Analog Optical Pickup
Pickup location(s), from 12th fret: At bridge (LightWave and piezo)
Electronics:LightWave
Controls:
Volume, Bass boost/cut, Mids boost/cut, Mid Sweep, iceTone Blend, HexFX blend switch, HexFX up/down switch
Shielding:None
Preamp Circuit Voltage:
Rechargeable power cell
CONSTRUCTION
Body woods: Alder
Neck woods:Maple
Fretboard:Rosewood
Body finish:
Ultrablack, gloss poly
Neck finish:
Clear Satin poly
HARDWARE
Strings:
Dean Markley SR2000
Gauge:
.044, .060T, .078T, .098T, .125T
Attachment:At bridge
Bridge/color:
GraphTech monolithic / Black
Nut (guide):GraphTech
Tuners/color: Black
Knobs/color:
Metal knurled dome/Black
Pickguard:NA
Control cavity cover:
Transparent black plastic
GENERAL
Company:
Willcox Guitars
6387-A Rose Lane
Carpinteria, CA, 93013 USA
Tel: 805.684.3216
Fax: 805.684.6696
http://www.willcoxguitars.com/
Country of origin:
Korea (neck and body), USA (electronics), Canada (bridge/nut)
Warranty:
3-year limited transferrable
Price:
$1,798 (MSRP)
Options:
4 or 5 string, fretted or fretless
Test Bass Options:
Fretted, HexFX
Accessories:
Gig bag, charger, tools, manual
Available colors:
Ultrablack, Xenon Blue, Infrared
Acquired from:
Dates:
Locales:
Test gear:
Willcox Guitars USA
Spring 2016
Illinois, Ohio
Gallien-Krueger MB800, Aviom, TecAmp SuperCab,
GK MB-112 Neo.
TEST RESULTS
1-5 (unacceptable to impeccable)
In-hand
Features: Tonal Flexibility: Ease of Use: Aesthetics: Ergonomics: Tone:
Value: 4
5
4
4
5
4
5
In-Hand Score
4.43average
On-bench
3.44average
SONIC PROFILE:
Lows: Controlled, full, and rich
Mids: Versatile and smooth
Highs: Clear and crystalline, but not brittle
On-bench
Overall Construction 3
Wood Choice 4
Materials Choice 3
Joinery 4
Fretwork 3
Fit and Finish of Adornments 4
Quality of Finish Work 4
Ease of Repair
3
Potential Range of Setup 2
Balance on Knee 3
Balance on Strap 3
Overall Electronic Quality 4
Solder Joints, Wire Runs 4
Clarity 4
Noise 4
Shielding NA
Quality for Price Range 3
Modern tone, a breakaway from tradition, but with
a broad range of available sounds from their base
tones, which are full and sweet.
Saber SL 5 HexFx
Black modern electric basses are cool. This blacked-out,
5-string, optical-transducer, MIDI-capable bass is very
modern and very cool. It’s also an instrument that is pretty
average, without the bells and whistles of its advanced
electronics. The all-black instrument hides the lumber.
According to the website, it should be made of alder cores
and sports a maple neck with a rosewood fingerboard. But
that’s where this Korean-made 5-string departs from 60 years
of bass construction.
The electronics in this bass are its marquee feature. The
bass eschews the usual magnetic pickups used in electric
basses since the ‘50s, and instead uses an infrared light
transducer system (explained in more detail in the Fretless
4-string review). Like the 4-string, they do not shield the
control cavity, but it may be that it’s not needed, as we did
not encounter any issues with noise when evaluating the
bass in my shop. In addition to the LightWave system and its
accompanying preamp, it has a 13-pin DIN connected MIDI
synth trigger, compatible with current modeling devices, and
a whole lot more. It’s way more sonic Swiss army knife than
most bassists are accustomed to.
The pickup and electronics are the most exciting aspects
of this bass. In most other regards, it is typical of the
competition in its price range. But when you add in the
electronics, it’s a whole ‘nutha ball game. If you want these
electronic options, it’s a great choice in a very small field
of choices. The overall look of the instrument is clean and
modern, save for the LightWave bridge structure, which
is necessary, but inelegant to my eye. The truss rod works
better than the rod on the 4-string fretless. However, it
needs a bit of tension to bring the neck to flat without string
tension. Adding string tension pushes the rod a good distance
into its travel, so over time, as things move and change, the
ability for the instrument to adjust will be limited.
Plugged-in and fired-up, the bass sounds very good. I have
no way to test the MIDI implementation, but if it works
well, the bass’ price becomes much more palatable.If the
electronics are your priority, this is a great bass for the
money. The player looking for a trigger device only, who
relies mostly on modeled sounds, will find this especially
compelling. If your priority is just a standard 5-string in the
$1,500 range, there is a much wider range of competition
available. As with the 4-string fretless, I think out-of-thebox-thinking electronics may be better served up in a highdollar, custom instrument, rather than a more affordable
production instrument. But this certainly does make the
technology available to more players…
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